Different Styles of Wedding Photography and How I Use Them

When it comes to documenting your wedding, you will look back on these images for decades to come so you want to be sure they truly capture the energy and emotion of your wedding. To ensure this, you want to be mindful of the kind of images you’re drawn to so that the photographer you choose and their style resonates for you and your partner. If you’ve found your way to me, you’re likely drawn to natural images that feel real and effortless. You probably love seeing images that document the story of the day, chaos and crying and laughing — all of it. 

As a wedding photographer who spent time studying photojournalism, my style is heavily influenced by and drawn to a more documentary style. To me, part of the beauty of weddings is in all the chaos and preserving an honest record of the day. Your real moments deserve to be honored. 

However, I also lean into other styles of photography at different parts of the day to not only capture a wider range of photos, but also tell your story in a way that connects to who you two are together. Because a wedding has so many elements to it, I love being able to shift my approach based on what is going on so that moments become photos. 

If this sounds like it is exactly what you are looking for, take a look at everything you need to know about the different styles of wedding photography!

Different Styles of Wedding Photography

Documentary Style

You may have also heard or seen this called photojournalistic, but, what it basically boils down to is capturing your wedding day exactly as it unfolds. 

This style really focuses on the natural moments that happen throughout the day without any outside influence or posing. You can think of it like a documentary you would watch on TV. 

The person photographing is not contributing or influencing the events that happen, they are just there to observe and document whatever unfolds during that time. Documentary style wedding photography does just that. 

Your photographer will almost blend in and you may even forget that they are there sometimes. They won’t be telling you to do certain things, having you redo events (like getting dressed or hugging your mom) just so they can get the perfect angle. 

With this style, it is not about capturing the “perfect” moments where every hair is exactly in place. Instead, it is all about capturing the authentic moments, the emotions, and the joy of the day, however it naturally happens. It requires a big commitment to letting go and being fully in the moment, which can feel challenging in this world of social media.

Candid 

Candid wedding photography is similar to documentary style photography in that it aims to capture those authentic moments and emotions that come out during your wedding day. When you think of candid photography, you probably think of people laughing or funny moments that are captured. 

While that is part of candid photography, it is so much more than that and is a great style to have if you are looking to really capture all of the joy that can be found throughout your wedding day. 

The main difference between candid and documentary style photography is that some moments in candid photography are somewhat “posed.” Now, when I say posed, I don’t mean in the sense that you are standing there just smiling at the camera. 

Instead, candid photography can involve some direction to help  you relax, have fun, and soak in the moment. This may mean that your photographer prompts you to tell each other special things or dance or make each other laugh

They are providing you with some direction on what to do, but then capturing the candid emotions that you are showing after hearing that joke or as you twirl your partner around. Oftentimes you will find that photographers will have a mixed style of candid and documentary style and the two can work really well together.

Posed 

There is also posed photography which might be the photography style your mind immediately goes to when you think of a professional photographer. With this style, your photographer will direct you and pose you for the photos and this is the type of image you see with family portraits at the wedding. The photographer had a list of combinations and arranged people together for the photo.

How I Photograph a Wedding Day

A lot of photographers specialize in specific types of photography, and while some stick to that style for the entire wedding, others (like myself) will adjust depending on the moment and part of the day.

For me, I focus on using a more documentary style approach for much of the day. This allows you to be comfortable, not feel like you are always being posed, or like someone is always interrupting your moments. It keeps the focus of photography on the people and not on performing. If you’ve found your way to me, you don’t want your wedding to feel like one big photo shoot.

For things like getting ready photos, your ceremony, cocktail hour, and your reception, I find that a more documentary style approach is the perfect option. You will get beautiful images of these moments while also feeling like you can look at these photos 20 years down the road and be brought right back to that moment. 

When it comes to your portraits, I love working with you to gently guide you in posing. I do this because I want you to get those gorgeous portraits of you and your partner, but I also want them to feel natural and I want you to feel comfortable throughout. I’ll help you know what to do with your hands! The reality is that the more you connect and touch and move, the stronger the images will showcase that.

You and your partner are at the center and I take my lead from you two. We will let how you interact with each other guide us to help create very laid back, natural, and candid portraits. 

Finally, when it comes to family portraits, these are going to be more of the fully posed images. I will collaborate with you to create a list of must get photos and will work through that list in an organized way to make it as easy as possible to pose everyone together and get all of the photos to make things as smooth as possible so you can get back to celebrating. 

All to say, it results in a gallery that documents the full range of your wedding day and really captures the energy of the day and people you love!

Final Thoughts on Wedding Photography Styles 

At the end of the day, there is no right or wrong answer when it comes to what style to choose for your wedding. However, it is important that you take some time to think about how you want to remember your wedding 10, 20, 50 years from now before finding a photographer that matches that style.

If you are still looking for that perfect photographer to capture all of your moments, I’d love to chat! You can click here to learn more about my wedding photography services or head over here to get in touch!

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